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With the fantasy baseball season right around the corner, it is time to start researching for your leagues. In this article, we will look at four pitchers managers should be targeting in fantasy baseball points leagues this season.
When playing in a points league format, the strategy is much different. The biggest two factors to take into account are strikeouts and innings pitched. If you can take a pitcher who will eat a lot of innings and strike out 200-plus hitters, chances are he will be a reliable fantasy option for your team in 2025.
So, let's look at four pitchers to target in 2025 fantasy baseball points leagues. These four pitchers are all currently going at different spots in drafts, but all four of them are strong targets in this format. Be sure to also bookmark our fantasy baseball points leagues rankings which are constantly updated.
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Pablo Lopez, Minnesota Twins
ADP: 66
Minnesota Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez is everything you want in a pitcher in points leagues. He goes deep into games and has the potential to strike out 200-plus batters every season. He has also managed to keep his ERA under 4.10 in five straight years. As a result, Lopez should be a top target for fantasy teams at his 66 ADP.
Lopez endured some struggles last year, so it makes sense why some fantasy managers might be hesitant to draft the Twins pitcher. However, he still finished with a 4.08 ERA and 198 strikeouts across 185 1/3 innings pitched. The right-hander was also a more consistent fantasy option in the second half of the season. He had a 2.77 ERA in his final 13 starts.
49 DAYS UNTIL OUR FIRST PABLO DAY!
Pablo López has been named our Opening Day starter for the third consecutive year! pic.twitter.com/5ozJQUM70H
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) February 6, 2025
That strong second half is what fantasy managers are used to seeing from Lopez on the mound. He has won double-digit games in three straight seasons and has ranked top-12 in strikeouts in back-to-back years. On top of that, the 28-year-old has thrown at least 180 innings in three consecutive campaigns.
All that has helped Lopez finish as a top starting pitcher in points leagues in recent years. Don't expect that to change in 2025, either. The right-hander had a 25.6 percent strikeout rate last season and ranked in the top 11 percent of the league in both chase rate (33 percent) and walk rate (5.3 percent). That makes him a great pick in the fifth or sixth round of drafts.
Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants
ADP: 83
San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb might be the best value pick in points leagues this season because of his ability to go deep in games. The right-hander has led the National League in innings pitched in back-to-back seasons and has made at least 32 starts in three straight years. Therefore, Webb should be on every manager's radar at his current 83 ADP.
It makes no sense why Webb is going so low in drafts. Yes, his strikeout numbers could be better after finishing the 2024 season with a 20.5 percent strikeout rate and a 20.8 percent whiff rate, but he does have some strikeout potential. He struck out 194 batters two seasons ago in 2023, and his 33 percent chase rate last year ranked in the 89th percentile.
Therefore, fantasy managers should be all-in on the right-hander in points leagues. He'll likely throw over 200 innings again and finish with under a 3.50 ERA. Last season, Webb had a 3.47 ERA and 172 strikeouts across 204 2/3 innings pitched. The All-Star also logged at least six innings in 24 of his 33 games in 2024. That helped Webb finish as the SP17 in points leagues last year.
The only pitcher with 200+ innings and a sub-3.50 ERA in each of the past 2 seasons:
Logan Webb pic.twitter.com/xVim4MWBoK
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) December 27, 2024
Now, the Giants ace finds himself going as SP24 in most drafts this spring. That feels like a steal for a pitcher who could lead the league in innings pitched again and doesn't walk many batters. Webb ranked in the 83rd percentile in walk rate (5.9 percent) last season. So, make sure to target him at his generous ADP.
Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals
ADP: 96
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray will enter his 13th major league season in 2025, but he has shown no signs of slowing down. Gray finished with a 3.84 ERA and 203 strikeouts across 166 1/3 innings pitched last year. Those 203 strikeouts ranked fourth in the National League and were the second most of his career.
It's going to be hard for fantasy managers to pass on Gray at his 96 ADP. He ranked in the 80th percentile or better in whiff rate (29.8 percent), strikeout rate (30.3 percent), and walk rate (5.8 percent) last season while averaging 14.6 fantasy points per start.
That 14.6 average ranked as the SP16 in 2024, which was better than Aaron Nola (14.3), Dylan Cease (14.3), and Blake Snell (13.9).
Now, you shouldn't be taking Gray over any of those pitchers in 2025 fantasy baseball drafts. But the Cardinals pitcher could be a nice target in the middle rounds. He has finished with under a 3.85 ERA in five of the past six seasons and is coming off a year in which his WHIP stood at just 1.088.
If Gray can manage to stay healthy in 2025, he will easily outperform his ADP. He has totaled at least 183 strikeouts and surpassed 165 innings in back-to-back years. The wheels won't fall off just yet in his age-35 season, making him a pitcher to target in the ninth or 10th round of drafts.
Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins
ADP: 108
Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan has been a solid fantasy option in each of his three full seasons in the majors. Although Ryan is coming off a season-ending shoulder strain, the expectation is that he will be a full go for training camp. As a result, he is one of my favorite pitchers to target at this point in drafts.
Ryan finished with a 3.60 ERA and 147 strikeouts across 135 innings pitched last season. His 2.87 expected ERA and .208 expected batting average against both ranked in the top 14 percent of the league and his 27.3 percent strikeout rate ranked in the 80th percentile.
Those strong numbers are nothing new for the Twins pitcher. He has had a 27.3 percent strikeout rate or better every season and finished with 197 strikeouts in 2023.
Injuries have surely prevented Ryan from being that top-tier fantasy pitcher, as the 28-year-old has missed time in three straight seasons. Last year, he was limited to only 23 starts. When the right-hander has been healthy, though, he has produced solid numbers across the board.
Joe Ryan struck out a dozen batters for the @Twins! 😤 pic.twitter.com/UucIvsOpOI
— MLB (@MLB) April 13, 2024
That's why he is a fantastic target in the ninth or 10th round of drafts. He has finished with under a 3.65 ERA in two of the past three years and has the strikeout upside to be a strong fantasy option in 2025.
Picking him as your SP3 or SP4 could be a league-winning move, considering Ryan has already shown his potential in the majors.
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